marriage broker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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perfectmatch2025-06-09 09:00 am
marriagebroker) wrote in perfectmatch2025-06-09 09:00 am
Entry tags:
week two | dates
Kiss the girl~!
Or guy.
Or person.
Or Messmer's snake.
Or guy.
Or person.
Or Messmer's snake.
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I guess we're different in that, huh? You're still working here, and I'm on vacation. [ She chuckles. ] Someone of my caliber, though, huh...? And what caliber is that, Shindou-san?
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Hmmmm~? There's no need to be modest about it, you know? [ Cheekily waggling a finger at her. ] You've already drawn quite a few eyes to yourself amongst our numbers! And I can only imagine how much the audience is rooting for you as well. I should be thinking of it as an honor that we get to spend this time together.
[ Then finally giving the strawberry a try. ]
Oh. It's quite sweet.
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Geh. It is? Well, then...
[ She looks at the strawberry she's holding... and then just plops it into the basket hanging from her arm. She really doesn't like sweet things!! ]
That one can go to someone back at the house. Anyway, you were a pretty active player during discussions last week yourself, Shindou-san. I don't know why, but I was surprised you picked Messmer. [ A beat, as she casts him a bit of a teasing look. ] You really do have an interest for the fantastical, don't you?
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[ Not that he's, like, super hype to be doing manual labor out in the sun for the group? He's already starting to feel kind of hot out here. But the tedious work gives him a good excuse to look away from her and instead at his hands as he starts slowly picking out strawberries to gently pop into his basket. ]
As for my match ... Mm, I'd be lying if I said I don't find Lord Messmer fascinating. Though it's not just that. I meant what I said, you know? Up on stage. That I think we have some things in common. [ And moving right along without elaborating: ] What of yourself though? Miss Poppy's quite the charming one, isn't she. Do you think you might be one of the correct matches?
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Hup... [ she says hagly as she squats down to finally join Rom in strawberry-picking... ] There's a good chance that we are. I don't really know what Poppy is looking for in someone, but... [ she's seen the way Poppy looks at her. ] Somehow, I might fit that.
[ She spends a moment silently fiddling with strawberries that are still growing in. ]
I wonder... What was her reaction to your occupation, Shindou-san?
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[ Which -- y'know. Not unusual. People who'll flame him and leave bad comments on his videos are a dime a dozen, no skin off his back, he's used to it. It's just that having to live in the same house as someone with that attitude is a new experience. Sigh.
Anyway. ]
That's just me, though. Surely you aren't worried she'll be the same with you. She seems quite enamored with you.
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[ It's not that Shoko doesn't notice or doesn't care; she's no stranger to being the object of someone's affection, for better or for worse (sorry, Ijichi, wherever he may be watching this), but it's... different, when that someone doesn't yet know the full extent of Shoko's work, or what she's been through. ]
...I think you know how unsavory things can get when it comes to curses and the occult, though, Shindou-san.
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I was wondering if maybe things would be different for you, since you work at a school.
[ So, yes. He's very well aware of the matter. Rom hums in thought as he fetches a few more strawberries before continuing. ]
... are you concerned about this matter in the context of winning the show, Ieiri-san? Or is it a more personal angle you're worried about.
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...I suppose I'm thinking about it more with respect to the second thing, than the first. Maybe it doesn't matter to the algorithm.
[ Still, even Rom is missing some context, isn't he? To that end, she adds: ]
This is the thing, though. I don't work for just any other high school. It's the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College. [ phew. ] What you do for your work, Shindou-san, we send kids out to do.
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Should I worry I'm about to be made obsolete by your students? [ Though honestly, that's not what bothers him most. ] I suppose I also started my training when I was young, but. ... I see.
[ A school exclusively for exorcists, sending them out into the field at a young age. He's not sure how he feels about this whole system. That's a matter he'll have to mull over more later.
For now, he plucks a few more berries before looking back to Shoko. ]
I think it does matter to the algorithm. The question is how this algorithm [ cough, he means the producers ] might have taken that factor into account. Will it be considerate of safety? In which case your pool of eligible partners is probably much smaller. Easier for us, frankly, as it would help narrow down options. Though -- given this is a television show, I would guess the algorithm might take a more romantic approach. 'Love conquers all,' as the fairytale sentiment goes. ... though when it comes to the second thing, then I'm afraid I don't have much advice to give.
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Shoko listens duly, drawing her hand away from the strawberries in favor of propping her head up with it as she gives Rom her full attention. Everything he says makes sense, logically-speaking, and she does find herself in full agreement. She'd considered what would happen if like was paired with like, and though it would make guessing each other's matches easier... ]
It wouldn't make for good entertainment, if we were paired off based on shallow reasons like that. Though we can't discount that sort of reasoning being used for at least some of the pairs.
[ But as for the second... Yeah. She's got nothing, either. ]
Guess there's only one way to figure it out, huh? Besides all that... you've been training since you were young, too?
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[ Honestly, he'd thought this entire game would be little more than a comedic setpiece he'd have to play along with until the wishes would be granted. But it's truly more difficult than he anticipated, enough that trying to untangle it's giving him a bit of a headache.
(Although maybe he's also starting to get a headache for other reasons.) ]
Aah, myself? [ There sure was a brief pause before he looked back her way. ] In a sense? Though at the earliest stages it was less training and more, hm ... learning to function. Learning to act like a normal person, first. [ 'Too,' Shoko had said. ] Is the same true for everyone associated with your school?
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[ Shoko isn't particularly interested in teasing out all the subtle details and differences between the nature of the occult in their respective versions of the world, but... she can at least touch on it a little more, for the sake of getting to know each other.]
At its most basic, there are people who can see curses. Then there are people who, in addition to that, can manipulate cursed energy or use cursed tools. Young ones who can do that usually end up at a school like mine and become sorcerers. I work as a doctor at Tokyo Jujutsu High now, but it's where I trained as a teenager, too.
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[ A cant of the head in thought. It's truly impossible for him to imagine. And he feels ... a little jealous, maybe? This feels like envy. Just a little.
He gives a soft huff of an exhale as he swipes a hand over his jawline; it comes away damp with sweat. ]
I have to imagine we come from very different places. People with genuine spiritual abilities are much rarer, to my knowledge. Other than my Master's handful of associates, in recent years I've only found ... one. One and a half-ish.
[ It's a little wobbly when he gets to his feet and steps towards the containers of ice water the staff left them; when he picks one up, he offers it Shoko's way first. ]
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[ she stops herself short, and despite her best efforts, the pause is rather noticeable. ]
...Two people.
[ Anyway! She tips her head to the side curiously when he gets up a little unsteadily... Uh-oh. Is the heat getting to him? Meanwhile, she's continuing to lazily pick random strawberries without regard for their ripeness... At least until he comes back with ice waters. ]
Ah, thanks, Shindou-san. Can't forget to stay hydrated in heat like this, hm? How are you holding up?
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... it's quite hot, isn't it.
[ Yes, he's a pretty tactless person in general. But even he knows not to touch certain matters.
When he hunkers back down on the ground near her, he takes a long swig of water before taking his hat off to fan himself with it briefly. Notably: he makes no move to loosen his heavy clothes at all, not even hiking up the long sleeves. ]
How embarrassing ... I do my fair share of field work, but it's just usually not out in the sun like this. Do you do much work outside the office yourself?
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Usually, if I'm out working in the field, that means something's gone to shit.
[ And boy, has it .. . . ]
So on in normal times? No, not much. But lately... Well. Things are getting better now, at least.
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I see. Well, here's to hoping that things stay better, then.
[ Going to. Absently resume picking strawberries to drop into his basket, more in hopes that giving himself something to do with his hands will help level out his thoughts, rather than caring about the strawberries at this point. ]
I'd just finished a fairly big job before arriving here myself. But you never really get to rest in this line of work, do you. Haha. [ Another bug idly brushed off a plant before he looks to her, blinking sweat out of his eyes. ] Is that the main reason why you decided to join this game? For the vacation.
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That's right. You could say that our world got turned on its head pretty recently - it was a huge mess. But now that the worst is over, I thought it was a good chance to go somewhere else. But you're right - even when there's a lull, it's still so busy.
[ She heaves a very put-upon sigh before randomly plucking strawberries off the plants again. ]
What was your big job? Or is that supposed to be secret?
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My big job? Haha. It's not really a secret, but it's not really anything worth talking about, either.
[ Vaguely, Rom wonders how much of this will make it out of the editing room and onto the TV. Not much, he hopes. It already feels like he's said too much, and the heat's making it harder for him to keep track of everything. ]
... I guess you could call it a grudge match of sorts. Though it was good to finally get that off my plate.
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A grudge match? I didn't take you for someone who'd have grudges, Shindou.
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[ Shoko's wise to keep an eye on him, because he's definitely starting to slump where he's crouched in front of the strawberry plants. Shoulders hunched, head ducked down to rest against his arm to try and blink away the dizziness. It muffles his voice a little when he speaks again. ]
But still. Some things wouldn't be right to let go of.
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Shoko reaches over and places a steadying hand over Rom's shoulder. ]
Hey, you good? The heat's getting to you, isn't it? I can see if I can take care of that for you, if you want.
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Ah ... excuse me. [ Closing his eyes again as he tries to clear his thoughts. ] I do think the sun is getting to me a bit. But I just need a moment.
[ Take care of that? She said 'take care of that', right? How ... -- oh. His balance wobbles as he raises his head to look woozily to her. ]
If there's shade somewhere nearby, I don't need to trouble you. I can get there myself.
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You're right that we need to get you somewhere more shaded, but... Don't push yourself when I'm offering to help, dummy. Here, take this and keep it on your neck, first.
[ She hands him her bottle of ice water and then gets up onto her feet, offering her hand to help him up. ]
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